Dozens hold protest outside State Attorney’s Office in Miami

MIAMI (WSVN) - Private lawyers and members of the Public Defender’s Office protested for reform outside the State Attorney’s Office in Miami.

One protester said, “I’m here today because black lives matter. In this country, the criminal justice system does a bad job of seeking justice for people that look like me, unfortunately.”

“Blacks have one situation and whites have another,” another protester said.

This group said it wants change in the Miami-Dade criminal justice system.

7Skyforce captured the protesters in front of the public defender’s office taking a knee.

Later, they chanted for change outside the State Attorney’s Office.

“KFR’s got to go,” they yelled.

They’re referring to Miami-Dade State Attorney, Katherine Fernandez Rundle.

Dylan Boigris, a public defender, said, “We’re calling for her retirement because KFR’s been in power for almost 30 years.”

7News reached out Rundle’s office, which provided a statement saying that they “join these protesters in their peaceful calls for change and reform and justice and that most police officers are good.”

But for those who aren’t, they say, “The excessive and unnecessary use of force must end. We will continue doing what we can to hold officers who violate the law accountable, just as we did when we recently secured convictions.”

Rundle’s office listed two officers convicted and two others currently being prosecuted, all for violent crimes.

Boigris said, “It’s the State Attorney’s job to make sure they hold him accountable. Her job to prosecute them, just like the prosecuting officers in the George Floyd case; we want to keep them accountable.”

Jessica Albert, a public defender, said, “We as a city have a very, very serious problem. We have a lot of racism ingrained in the system.”

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